August 22, 2007 - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco female representatives have been seen at local bars in Raleigh, NC passing-out free samples of either: 2-packs of cigarettes, 1-pack of cigarettes and 1-can of Camel SNUS or 2-cans of Camel SNUS. The representative uses a handheld scanner handheld to take a photo of your id, we suppose so they can send you promotions to your postal address. This person also asks about your favorite brand of cigarettes and if you've ever tried smokeless tobacco - she then plugs Camel SNUS. Raleigh, NC is one of the additional market test sites for Camel SNUS. Reynolds is probably in huury to heavily promote Camel SNUS with the big guys coming, that is Marlboro SNUS (being test marketed starting in August 2007 in Dallas, TX). Marlboro is considered one of the strongest brand names in consumer packaged good. Marlboro cigarettes had a 40.5% share of the cigarette market in the U.S.A. in 2006. (TabaccoWatch.org)

August 22, 2007 - Can we expect more non-American Tobacco Manufacturers in the U.S.?? - The Illinois Supreme Court today effectively ended St. Louis lawyer Stephen Tillery's efforts to keep alive his overturned $10.1 billion win against tobacco giant Philip Morris.The court's 4-2 ruling strikes a hard blow against Tillery's claim that the court should reconsider its 2005 decision reversing the 2003 victory Tillery won from Madison County judge Nicholas Byron. Tillery had brought a class action against Philip Morris, claiming that the corporation's marketing of light cigarettes amounted to fraud because smokers weren't getting anything less dangerous than regulars. Byron agreed and ordered the record-setting verdict, including $1.8 billion in attorney's fees for Tillery and other lawyers. But on appeal, the state Supreme Court sided with Philip Morris's argument the corporation was protected from the lawsuit because the Federal Trade Commission had specifically authorized marketing of cigarettes as light and low-tar. ( Court ends Illinois Tobacco Case by Adam Jadhav, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)Settlements like this is a validation that the litigation environment in the U.S. for tobacco companies has improved and a sign that other non-American (e.g., Imperial Tobacco to Buy Commonwealth to Enter U.S.)tobacco manufacturers could follow Imperial into the highly profitable U.S. Market (Bonnie Herzog, Citigroup's Tobacco Analyst).Click on image to enlarge...

August 21, 2007— Marlboro MST - Philip Morris (PM) USA today announced that it will be introducing Marlboro Moist Smokeless Tobacco (MST) into test market in Atlanta, Georgia, during October 2007 to evaluate consumer acceptance of the product. The arrival of Marlboro MST on the market will mark the third stage of a busy 15 months for PM USA, which test launched Taboka in Indianapolis during July last year and Marlboro Snus in Dallas/Fort Worth, earlier this month. Taboka and Marlboro Snus are both pasteurized, no-spit products that are offered to adult smokers as alternatives to cigarettes, whereas Marlboro MST is a fermented, spit product aimed at existing adult moist smokeless tobacco users. Marlboro MST, which is PM USA’s first moist smokeless tobacco product, will be offered in Original and Wintergreen flavors and will be available in Long Cut and Fine Cut varieties. It is expected to sell at about $3.00 per can, which is midway between the highest- and lowest-priced products already offered in Atlanta. Marlboro MST Fact Sheet (The Marlboro snuff will be priced at about $3 a can; cheaper than premium-priced brands like Skoal and Copenhagen sold by US Smokeless Tobacco, Greenwich, Conn.; and could be a trade-up product because it will cost slightly more than value brands like Grizzly manufactured by Conwood, a unit of Reynolds American. Marlboro Leverages Brand Name in Smokeless Rollout, Mike Beirne,Brandweek, 8/22/2007) Citigroup's Tobacco Analyst Bonnie Herzog tells investors that PM USA will fully cement its place in the smokeless segment using the power of the Marlboro brand (8/21/2007). PMI (International) claims Marlboro is the only true global cigarette brand: with 41% of its volume in the EU, 25% in Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (EEMA), 21% in Asia and 13% in Latin America. Overall PMI held a 15.4% share of the international cigarette market in 2006. ( Remarks by Andre Calantzopoulos Chief Executive Officer Philip Morris International Inc. at JP Morgan Global Tobacco Conference, June 29, 2007.)

August 21, 2007 - Cigarette sales dropped nearly 7% last month after a smoking ban was introduced in England. Smokers bought 6.9% fewer cigarettes in the four weeks to July 28, 2007 than in the same period last year, according to figures from consumer research group AC Nielsen. Sales were down 1.2% in June, ahead of the ban. (On July 1, 2007 England introduced a new law to make virtually all enclosed public places in England smoke free.) Anti-smoking campaigners ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) welcomed the news. "This is a good sign," a spokeswoman said. "As expected, smokers appear to be cutting back on the number of cigarettes they smoke. We also expect many will use the smoking ban as a trigger to help them quit altogether." ( Cigarette Sales Drop Nearly 7%, Julia Kollewe, Guardian Unlimited)ASH is the same group that is recommending the use moist snuff - SNUS like products in England as a substitute for tobacco smoking. At present as a result of England being part of the European Union moist snuff is outlawed. The ASH wants this tobacco product introduced in England not even considering the consequences of their actions, e.g. another generation of nicotine addicts. This reminds us of the days that tobacco control people insisted that tobacco companies produce low tar and low nicotine cigarettes. From Business Week Dec 16, 1967 – The government is interested in promoting cigarettes with low tar and nicotine content on the theory that they aren’t quite as bad for you. Says James C. Bowling, a vice-president of Philip Morris Inc.: “Although we maintain that low numbers are not proven meaningful, we will make cigarettes that way if that’s what smokers want.” (TobaccoWatch.org) As Dr. Gunilla Bolinder, director of education at Stockholm's Karolinska University Hospital points out, "To sing the praises of SNUS is a deathblow to 20 years of hard tobacco preventive work. SNUS only saves the life of the tobacco industry" (SNUS gets the thumbs-down NEWS-24 1/31/2007).Click on image to enlarge..